Preparation for Building the Box:

We started with pre-cut wood, using nine 14.5” long pieces of 1×4 lumber, six 12” long pieces of 1×4 lumber, and four 10-11” long pieces of 2×2 lumber. Some of our 2×2 lumber pieces were poor quality, with bits of wood chipped off or sticking out, so we decided to re-cut three of those pieces with better quality wood using the miter saw. After cutting our wood, we began assembling our box!

 

Process of of Building the Box:

First, we built three frames, using two 14.5” pieces and two 12” pieces on each side. Each time, we clamped together the pieces using the corner clamp, and drilled holes to screw together the pieces. Some of the pieces were not cut straight and had gaps at the right angle, so we used the belt sander to sand them flat so they would fit nicely. We marked the uneven side to sand; a before and after picture of an example gap is seen below.

For the screws, we first drilled pilot holes using a ⅛” drill bit, and then we used a ¼” and 5/16” drill bit to countersink them. We also used soap on the tips of the screws to help them sink into the wood more smoothly which was a tip from Esther’s father who does that when woodworking.

    

After assembling all the frames, we routed each frame. For the frame that we designated for the bottom of our box, we only routed the top edges and outer corners, but for the other two frames, we routed both top and bottom edges and the outer corners. We learned that sometimes we need to experiment with the speed and pressure when routing in order to create smoother edges.

We then took the wooden frames down to sand them with the orbital sanders. The sanding was probably the most tedious process, as we needed to sand every frame with 100 grit, 240 grit, and lastly 320 grit in order to make the wood as smooth as possible. We also sanded the 2×2 wood pieces with the same process, and labeled the sides that we wanted to face the inside of the box.

After sanding was complete, we began assembling the bottom of the box. We began drilling the three planks of wood into the bottom frame. We clamped the pieces together and using the same drilling process to countersink the screws. We also sanded the inside of the bottom after screwing it together to make it flat and level.

To fit the bottom pieces, we used the belt sander to sand the planks on the end until they fit inside. Together, they were too wide to fit after the length was good, so we marked where to cut and decided to use the scrolling band saw to cut off the excess. I used clamps to clamp a rail to guide me to cut a straight line, but that did not exactly work out.

     

(This is Esther here, I take credit for the terrible edge I cut on the scrolling band saw…I need a little more practice on that machine.) The edge was not straight despite the precautions I tried to implement.

     

To remedy this, we decided to use white caulk to paint the edges of the bottom of our box, both on the inside and the outside, and now it looks perfectly seamless. We also created fillets with the caulk on the inside to cover the gap all together, and put the fillets on all 4 sides so it would look symmetrical. 

     

After caulking, we screwed together our box, using the technique of putting a flat plank between each frame, to ensure even spacing vertically, when we screwed them into the 2×2 blocks. We finished assembling and sanded the outside one more time to smooth out the screws, and we were on to post-processing!

To post-process, we decided that we wanted a clear finish to really let the aesthetics of the box shine. We tried clear gloss on one panel, but realized that the gloss finish had its own texture and covered the velvety texture of our carefully sanded wood, so we scrapped that and sanded the finish off. Next, we chose tung oil, because Douglas told us that it would preserve the sanding job and just sink into the wood. 

We used a microfiber cloth to apply the tung oil (like waxing a car, according to the instructions on the back of the bottle). It made our wood glow, softened it, and preserved the sanded finish. With that, our box was complete!

Our priorities for this box were doing something simple…well. We sanded the corners to fit well, made sure the bottom (inside and outside) was sanded so the panels were flush with each other and it looked like one continuous panel. We also squeezed them together while drilling the holes for the bottom panel. We chose a simple routing bit that would look aesthetically pleasing and sanded it until it was as smooth as we could get it. We sanded every exposed surface (even the inside of the supporting column 2x2s for when they are exposed by the cracks). We made sure to use a long, level piece of wood from the wood shop when creating the gaps in the slats so that they would be perfectly even. Our box may not have a flashy handle or color, but we put time and care into making all of our screws countersunk and sanded, and making sure that in every step, we did our best to use quality craftsmanship.

 

Cost Analysis:

Raw Materials:

• 9 x 14.5” pieces of 1×4 lumber ($3.55/8 ft) = $4.82
• 6 x 12” pieces of 1×4 lumber ($3.55/8 ft) = $2.66
• 4 x 10-11” pieces of 2×2 lumber ($3.55/8 ft) = $1.48
• 48 x 1.25” screws ($9.97/184 screws) = $2.6
• Low gloss tung oil ($10.98 per can) = $10.98

Labor, machine, overhead:

• ~ 10 hours ($12.5/hr) (x2 people) = $250

Total: $272.54